Monthly Archives: January 2015

That’s right, Sriracha is now a beer; a stout to be exact. If you thought the pumpkin spice craze is getting out of hand, this spicy and irresistible taste of Asia is pretty close.

The boffins over at ROGUE laboratories has created another concoction that just might top all the other crazy creations they’ve thought up. While it is a bit pricey for a 1 pint bottle, novelty craft beers are rarely modestly priced. So if you’re a Sriracha addict, this will help you give you an extra fix of irresistibly hot, chili sauce while helping you loosen up. ($13)

You’re eyes are not fooling you. That is a piece of leather wrapped around the flashlight’s grip. Made with standard American cowhide and powered by two D cell batteries, the design is quintessentially vintage. The looks hark back to the early days of flashlight design. But while playing tribute to an old look, it provides a modern touch. The torch uses LED bulbs for illumination instead of incandescent bulbs; allowing for longer battery life. With the three batteries, you can expect 20 hours of use. So if vintage is your thing, out looking for a gift for someone who does, or just wants to add to a future costume, this is right up your alley. ($45)

Nudown is out with an interesting line of outerwear. Calling it “Nutech Technology”, each jacket or vest (only comes in two designs) comes with a built in pump. The pump allows the wearer to manually force air into air pockets found on the outer linings of the clothing; creating a layer of air between the fabric and the outside temperature. The air then traps your body heat creating further insulation from the winter chill. If you start feeling hot, just release some of that air to cool yourself down. Coming in at $350 for the jacket and $250 for the vest, this is another example of how fashion designers are trying to merge tech and style.

The folks over at Kenu are out with a must have iPhone accessory called the “Highline”. Made for active individuals who often worry about losing their smartphone in precarious situations (i.e. on a ski lift, kayaking or rock climbing).

The “Highline” is a kit that consists of a case and a compatible leash. The elastic leash, made from kevlar, fastens to the bottom of the case via the lightening port and can be attached when not in use. Once connected to the bottom port, the leash can be fastened to any zipper, loop or carabiner with a lanyard. Heavy-duty in design, the “Highline” is sure to prevent any future mishaps with your precious i-device. ($30-$35)

Showcasing different outfits for different occasions, Dat Hoang starts his posts by asking how his audience is doing. “Hope you guys are having a good week” or “Hope everyone is doing great” are just a few of the pleasantries Dat uses before displaying his many outfits. And along with each post, he provides detailed descriptions for each item in his setup.

Dat makes good use of contrasting colors in this setup. Wearing a tan coat over a maroon suit is the key to this look. From there, he rocks a watch from Daniel Wellington, a Burberry tie and shades from Dharma Eyewear to add to the finer details of this look.

In this next look, Dat goes seasonal with a coat over suit setup; avoids the bright colors of the spring/summer. However, he adds variety by throwing some patterns into the mix. The patterns on the tie as well as the scarf help in completing the look.

This next rather dapper gem comes all the way from Instagram. Rocking a “time-machine” of a look, Dat is seen wearing a gray coat over a navy suit and black slacks. And in order to add flavor to the entire setup, he throws in a polka dot tie.

Dat is the real deal folks. With almost daily updates, each setup has a strong attention to detail. So, if you’re looking for sartorial inspiration or something simple and casual, you won’t be disappointed visiting his site.

He walked out of the elevator with a suit slung over his shoulder and a tan Herschel rucksack full of clothes fit for a sit-down with the president himself. Much like the closing remark in a previous email conversation, he was prepared for anything.

The office now dim and devoid of employees, Steven Onoja exchanged small talk; giving us a brief recap of his earlier escapades. He opened his neatly packed bag and emptied the surrounding area with several different articles of clothing. Quite overwhelmed with the amount of clothing and the level of preparedness, we left it up to him to decide which outfit to choose. After a quick trip to the bathroom and a ride down the elevator, Steven was out in his environment; the streets, avenues and boulevards of the Big Bad City.

He walks through the streets with a sense of dignity and confidence that is the direct result of the clothes he wears. Wandering eyes of passersby stay fixated to the various outfits and accessories that seem to act as a second skin, but more on that later.

Steven was always ready and willing to pose and talk style and fashion. Whether it was from years of experience and a plethora of shoots, his ability to keep the poses organic and natural was second nature and done almost on cue.

“Can we try this shot here?”

“Where? here?” as he walks over and strikes a pose near a red brick wall.

It was almost uncanny how casual and comfortable Steven really was but he made the urban environment part of him; part of his identity.

Of Nigerian descent, Steven is just one of a growing number of fashion bloggers trying to make his mark in a scene that is already flooded with quality and seasoned bloggers. But, he isn’t too concerned about his competition. Steven is simply enjoying the moment while developing his sense of style. Drawing inspiration and attention from his walks down Bedford Avenue over in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, he shows his creative side through the various photoshoots showcased in his blog stevenonoja.com. Stemming from a childhood love of art, Steven now uses himself as a canvas and his clothes like the colors on a palette.

Being in fashion blogging for over three years, Steven is quite humble. When asked about his competition, he responds by saying:

“My competition is my inspiration,” while taking a sip of his coke.

“They are more of an inspiration to me to do better. I want to work with people better than me and try to better myself working with them.”

Drawing inspiration from his competitors, Steven’s style is clean, discreet with a good balance of colors and patterns. There isn’t always a hat on his noggin, but it’s a common piece to his diverse collection of outfits. Coupled with a navy suit, blue tie and a white spread collar shirt, his attire is never devoid of accessories. The Tie clip, rings and a pair of shades clipped to his front suit pocket sums up the flair he adds to his outfit; that’s before you get to his leather monk strap shoes.

He puts great emphasis on the shoe game. It’s the starting point of his outfit and what Steven believes to be what people look at first when judging an outfit. The monk strap shoe isn’t the pair he started out with, but it’s a product of his style’s evolution. Days of wearing worn out shoes riddled with holes is behind him, Steven’s sense of style now deserves a pair of shoes that scream class and sophistication; and he shows it.

The next step in Steven’s style evolution is mixing dapper and street fashion. He plans to pair the two in hopes of further solidifying his personal sense of style. The signature fedora is first on the chopping block; soon to be replaced with some other form of head gear.